Crate



Aug. 10, 1943.

D. R. SWINGLE ET AL CRATE Filed Jan. 7, 1941 2 Sheets Sheet 1 J4 k if aa 1943. D. R. SWINGLE ET AL I 2,326,700

- I CRATE Filed Jan. 7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 10, 1943 I rizisz'smio "GRATE 3 1.115 5 R, wi-ngle and William Bnlfinson,

"chan e-sag assigrfiors tolfliiinberland I Qa seCompan'I,Chattanooga,'flehn 'faicorp'ora-i a a r ma r "as esing-ranseiyn,1941;serial-mistrust a. Y

' s-'eia-a., (c1. 2i 1 ss)' This'invention ha douith crates'iand-inandan iriner am igle ;.pos i-tion'e'dwithin: and

1D Tticular-with structural featureso cratcs'rised againsttearsrizzand?'3. 'Ih'efthus 'deterrn1ned in the transpo of the invention is-to' piri.cJa-nwea'sily assemlsl'ed receive between them the ends'of*:the'-:slatss23. anddurabl frame structure:emdrtortlns end Theears'22-and'-'23;' fianges zafland t', zth'e lowerinvention contemplatesa unitaryrecta-ngnlar enfiS;0f-ahglesn21 94101228., andthe:lower-.slatsare tion of bottles, innitohject positioning "of i angles i. 1' 2Badapts them 7 base structure including fwelded-on corner fitpiercedtoreceivemecdring means isuehasrthe V tings for-tile rigidattacl-n'i'ient of upright corner bolts 36 and 3|,or rivetsmayz'lreusedifafdesired;

elements. The invention is shown in practical The upper portions ofthe'corner elements 26 are embodiment in the accompanying drawingswith10 secured at intervals through the slat ends.

reference to which the description will proceed. As indicated in Figure2, the supporting wires In the drawings: 3 l6 and I! are upwardlyofiset' so that the-bottles Figure l is a plan view. partly broken away,of will be normally supported a plane substana crate constructed inaccordance. with the intially above the plane of the bottom ofwire l5,vention. thus preventing breakage if the crate is dropped. g Figure 2 isan exploded isometric View showing The wire l5, whichis of substantialrigidity in g a portion of th bottom construction includin a itself, isreinforced at the corners bythe fittings preferred form of cornerfitting and showing also I 8, welded thereto, and with the cornerelement's an upright corner element. 26 secured to the fittings a veryrigid and durable Figure is a section substantially on line 33 skeletonstructure is provided. Q of Figure 2. The crate is provided in the usualmanner with Figure 4 is a transverse section of the corner upperfpositioning grids of which one is designated element of Figure 2 shownassecured ,to the by the reference numeral 32 in Figure 1. The I cornerfitting. upper ends of the outer angles 2! are'inwardly Figure 5 is anexploded isometric view showing flanged at 33 and 34 to overlie the topslats and a modified form of corner fitting and in part the upper endsof the inner angles 28 are proan upright corner element. vided with theusual stacking irons 35.

Figure 6 is a section on line 3-5 of Figure 5 In Figures 5 and 6reference numeral 35 desig-f j showing the elements in assembledrelation. nates a corner portion of a frame wire like the Figure '7 isan isometric View of a further form 30 wire I5 of the first form. Weldedin the corner of corner fitting. of the wire is an angular fitting 3'!having a flat Figure 8 is a section substantially on line 8-8 portion 38at the lower innermargin of which of Figure 7 l is formed an angularportion having vertical walls Figure 9 is isometric view of stillanother 39 and 40 terminating downwardly inhorizontal' form of cornerfitting, and j flanges and 42. The horizontal portion 38 has Figure 10is a section on line iii-iii of Figend portionsfree of walls 33 and 40and bent to ure 9. form upward loops 43 and 44 terminating in feetReferring to the drawings, and first to Figures ,45 and welded to wire36. As shown in Figure 7 l to 4, reference numeral 15 designates a con-6, the inner angle 41 of the corner element rests tinuous rectangularbottom wire or rod constitut- 40 on flanges 4| and .52 and against walls39 and '40.

ing a runner and also a frame to which are welded I The outer angle 48bears against the outer edge the ends of cross grid wires {6 and i1.Secured of the flatportion 38 and the two angles are held in eachrounded corner of wire 15 is an angular together by bolts or. rivetspassing through loopsfitting which includes a flat horizontal portion 43and 4'4- The spacing of angles 61 and 48'per-" l9 welded on top of thewir and a droppedcham mits them to receive the slat ends, the lowerslats n el-like portion 228 which includes a vertical wall being notchedto receive the loops. I

or 2| bearing against wire 15 inside the V In Figures 7 and 8 thefitting 49 is substan corner to serve as positioning means for thetially the same as that of Figures 5 and 6, the

fitting. The channel formation 23 is bounded difference being thatthevertical walls 50 and 5| inwardly by angularly related upstandingflanges 50 are integral with the horizontal portion 52, being I or earsJ2 and 23which are in planes parallel to united throughout by welding.The inner and I 1 angularly related outer flange portions 2 3 and 25.outer anglesof the upright corner elements are The upright cornerelement 23 comprises an mounted asinFigure 6;

outer angle 23 positioned within and against In Figures 9 and 10 thefitting 53 has ahoriflanges 24 and 25, a h w i Figures 1 and 4, zontalportion 54 of angular form provided with ourselves in these mattersexcept as in the follow- 7 ing claims.

We claim: f r

l. A crate comprising a rectangular bottom wire constituting a runner,angular corner fittings welded on top of saidwirej, upright cornerelements each comprising inner and outer angles secured to saidfittings, a supporting grid secured to said wire, and slats above saidwire with their ends secured between the inner and outer angles of saidcorner elements.

2. Structure according to claim lwherein said fittings have angularvertical flanges inside the corners of the wire and against which theinner anglesare secured. V y 1 3. Structure according to' claim 1wherein said fittings have angularly related. dropped portions 7abuttingthe insides ofthecorners of the wire to position the fittings.

4. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said fittings have angularlyrelated dropped portions abutting the insides of the corners of the wireto position the fittings, and wherein said dropped portions includeupright flanges against which the inner angles are secured.

g 5. Structure accordin to claim 1 wherein said fittings have angularlyrelated dropped portions abutting the insides of the corners of the wireto position the fittings, wherein said dropped portions include uprightflanges against which the inner angles are secured, and wherein saidfittings also include angularly related upright outer flanges againstwhich the outer angles are secured.

6. A crate comprising a rectangular bottom ,wire constituting a runner,angular corner fittings welded on top of said wire, said fittings havingangularly relatedv depending portions abutting the insides ofthe cornersof the wire to position the fittings, upright corner elements eachcomprising inner and outer angles secured to said'fittingsa supportinggrid secured to said wire, and slatsabove said wire with their endssecured between'xthe inner and outer angles .of said corner elements. I

' DONALD R. SWINGLE.

WILLIAM W. ROBINSON.

